Assembly reviews proposition summary and logistics after citizen petition to align borough elections with state date

The borough clerk presented a certified citizen petition seeking to change the borough election date to align with the State of Alaska election date and asked the assembly to approve the proposition summary to be included in the voter pamphlet.

Clerk Turner said the petition was certified on Aug. 14 and that, although the printing deadline had passed, the borough's vendor agreed to a one-time extension to accept the summary. "This petition was certified on the August 14, with the intention of it being brought forward at the next regular election since our printing deadline, was upon us," Turner said. Turner confirmed the petition can be placed on this year's ballot without requiring a special election and that she had arranged a one-time extension with the ballot vendor.

Assemblymembers raised concerns about the fiscal-impact note in the proposition summary, which currently states the full fiscal impacts are unknown. Issues flagged included potential costs for additional polling booths, tables and signage, recruiting and compensating additional election workers, and the fact that the state requires separate election boards for state and borough elections when they occur separately.

Turner told the committee the borough has included a project in this year's budget to buy election equipment; the order had not yet been placed. "I included a project to buy our own election equipment in the event something like this was in our foreseeable future. So that order has not been placed, but it is in the works," Turner said. She said she did not have a dollar amount available for additional booths, tables or recruiting costs and that those costs are therefore not included in the proposition summary.

Turner also warned that some polling locations are too small to accommodate two sets of voting equipment and two election boards in the same room, which could force the borough to secure additional locations. She said that if the assembly proposed an alternate proposition summary at a subsequent meeting, it likely would not be included in the printed voter pamphlet and would have to be distributed separately at additional cost.

Assemblymember Ribbons and others urged that the broader public discussion occur at a regular assembly meeting so voters understand implications before the election; Turner said the action before the assembly that night was approval of the proposition summary for the voter pamphlet, but the petition will appear on the ballot regardless of the assembly's decision.

Next steps: Turner must submit final voter pamphlet material by the vendor deadline (she said next Monday) to include the current summary; any changes at a later meeting would require separate distribution and extra cost.